This is a departure from my normal blogging topics, and is a topic that is a pet peeve of mine: tipping. Everyone thinks they deserve a tip nowadays. The days of just doing your job well and receiving pay and a thank-you are long gone.
It used to be about the only people you tipped were waitresses, which makes sense. Most restaurants pay waitresses a very small wage, and they have to make up the rest in tips. Now you're expected to tip everyone from your barber to the person handing you your food at a fast food restaurant.
It is a big turn off for me to walk into a restaurant and see a tip jar on the counter. One of my sisters had an employee push the tip jar towards her as she paid... I would have pushed it back were it me. I am always tempted to write a tip on a piece of paper like "don't eat yellow snow" and put in, but never have.
Could greed possibly be behind all of this expectation and want of tips? Shouldn't a paycheck, thanks, and the feeling of doing your job well be enough? Why should patrons of establishments have to supplement the workers' greed and sense of entitlement by giving them more money for doing what they should be doing anyway: providing good service and doing their job well?
And who decides who deserves a tip anyway?
You're expected to tip the barista for making your coffee, but not the mechanic for fixing your car.
You're expected to pay the barber, but not the cashier for ringing up and bagging your groceries.
You're expected to tip the fast food or pizza shop employees for making your food, but not the mailman for bringing you your mail.
You're expected to tip the pizza delivery boy, but not the UPS or FedEx driver for delivering your package.
Seriously, who decides these things? And what makes some of these people more deserving of a tip than others? Does anyone ever think about it or question it, or are we just guilted into doing it because it is expected and everyone else is doing it?
I work in the Emergency Department of a hospital for half of my day. The other half is spent in the main lobby of the hospital. I help people into wheel chairs, help them sign in on the kiosks, look up patient rooms for them, give them directions to other part of the hospital, and various other duties. No one tips me, nor do I expect it. Well, I did have one lady insist on tipping me as I took her by wheelchair on the elevator.... but I like my job, I get paid for it, and I get a lot of thanks and recognition. But if all of these non-waitress workers deserve a tip for what they do, don't I? I do more for people than make their coffee or hand them their food across the counter. What makes them more deserving of a tip than me? And no.... I don't believe I deserve or need tips, I am just making a point.
What makes the barber more deserving of a tip than the Walmart employee who changes your oil? What makes the pizza delivery guy more deserving of a tip than your mailman or UPS driver? What makes the pizza shop employees more deserving of a tip than the ticket sales person at the movie theater? What makes the hotel maid more deserving of a tip than the employee at the bank drive through?
I don't like to tip. No, I am not selfish or greedy. I just believe that people shouldn't expect a tip for doing their job. And unless you can answer my questions above why some people deserve a tip while others in different jobs do not, don't judge me.
I'm not even crazy about tipping waitresses. Since I have two sisters who have been waitresses, I know how important tips are to a waitress. They usually get half of or even less than half of minimum wage, so they have to make it up in tips. I also know a lot of waitresses are dishonest and don't report all of their tips, thus avoiding paying as many taxes on their tips. So maybe we need to cut tipping out even for waitresses and pay them what the other employees make. Just a thought. And I am actually a good tipper at restaurants if the waitress or waiter does their job well, and especially if they keep up with refills.
There are people who think you should tip well no matter how the service is. I disagree. Case in point: I was at the Mexican restaurant I frequent a lot, and had a male waiter. After he brought my drink and meal, he sat over at the bar watching TV, I finished my drink and needed a refill, but he was over watching TV. I was almost done with my meal by the time he peeled himself away from the TV to check on me. I left him nothing. It was obvious that he wasn't too busy, but what he was watching was more important than doing his job, and a tip is basically a reward for a job or service well done.....so why should I reward him for ignoring me?
Another time I was tempted to not leave a tip, but I did leave one: I was eating at am all you can eat buffet where you paid before you ate, and there was a receipt on your table saying what drinks you got. Our waitress came by, looked at the slip, took out her pen and circled something on the slip with a pen. I picked it up to see what she circled. She had circled "tips are appreciated".......uh, so are prompt refills!
I will continue to tip waitresses for good service, but I refuse to tip people who are getting paid a full wage to do their job. I will not encourage greed or entitlement in people by tipping them for doing their job. I will thank them and tell them to have a nice day, and that is enough.
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